


Kitten Therapy

by Avese23



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst with a Happy Ending, Basically everyone is POC, Catra is guilty jealous and depressed, Catra makes bad choices, Depression, Double Trouble Peekablue and Flutterina are different people, Double Trouble is their amazing self, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, GSA, Gen, Human AU, Hurt/Comfort, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Mentions of a Coma, Mentions of religion, Mostly Gen, Multi, Mutual Pining, Not real therapy, School Play, Scorpia and Catra friendship, There will be shippy stuff but this is mostly focussing on Catra and Double Trouble and Scorpia, Verbal Abuse, homophobic parents, mention of illness, mentions of divorce, the slowest of slow burns, theatre gays
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27338782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avese23/pseuds/Avese23
Summary: After running away from her abusive mother, Catra is taken in by Scorpia to live with her and her mothers. Scorpia picks up on Catra's depression, but Catra refuses to get professional help, so Scorpia convinces her to try talking with her girlfriend who is a peer counselor at Bright Moon Academy. Unfortunately, Catra mistakes Double Trouble for Perfuma and the bored theatre kid decides to roll with it. Thus, chaos ensues.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra), Angella/Micah (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Castaspella/Juliet (She-Ra), Double Trouble/Peekablue (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), George/Lance (She-Ra), Kyle/Lonnie/Rogelio (She-Ra), Light Hope/Mara (She-Ra), Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra), Shadow Weaver/Cobalt (She-Ra), Sweet Bee/Peekablue (She-Ra)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my lovely beta for proofreading this ♡
> 
> Disclaimer: This chaos is not my own making, credit to the amazing Crew-Ra

I feel alone

I know I'm not

I used to talk to lots of people.

Lately, I've stopped

They didn't deserve it,

I've been a terrible friend.

but I couldn't bear to let myself become boring to them

-I’m Not Dead Boyinaband

"What do you mean I'm depressed?!" Catra screeched, throwing herself into her bed. It was technically Scorpia's bed, so the comforter was bright red with a tiny shell pattern. The whole cutesy aesthetic threw off her vibe, but she was in no position to complain. Without Scorpia she wouldn't have a bed at all. Scorpia sighed, sitting down beside her scowling friend. 

"Catra, you were there when the doctor explained it. You don't talk to your friends — "

"I talk to you!" Catra cuts in.

" — you don't talk to your other friends. You barely go outside. You've quit all your extracurriculars and your self-loathing is off the charts. Not to mention your relationship with-"

"Okay- okay I get it…" Catra said, her face in her hands and her voice muffled. "I don't see why this means your moms have to get all involved."

"They're worried about you.  _ I'm _ worried about you." Scorpia said, placing a tentative hand on Catra's shoulder.

Catra shook her off. "I don't see why you should be. I don't see how any of this is anyone's business but my own." At Scorpia's hurt expression she added "Look, you're already doing so much for me. I'm not about to ask you to do more."

This was as open as Catra had ever been with anyone. Except for maybe — No, she wouldn't go there. Scorpia was all she needed. Scorpia was all she had. She didn’t want anyone else. As far as she was concerned, anyone who couldn't bother with her wasn't worth the while. Not Rogelio, not Lonnie. And definitely not fucking Kyle. The twerp. Honestly, it was remarkable she’d stayed friends with them for as long as she had. Their friendship hadn't been her choice. She would never have talked to them of her own volition. Then, after the Incident, she'd clung onto them because it was better than being alone. She found herself in that position far too often. Just scrambling to have something, anything, to hang on to. She hated it. She hated everyone who pushed her down or left her when she needed them most. She hated herself for letting it happen.

"Hey, hey. Look at me, wildcat."

The use of the nickname snapped Catra out of her train of thought. So wrapped up in her own mind she had tuned out Scorpia's words without even noticing. If her mother were here she would snap at her for being too detached. Scorpia placed her hand on Catra's shoulder once more, and this time she leaned into the embrace. "I know you'd never ask for help.” Scorpia said gently “But I'm your friend."

"I know that…" Catra said "I just hate people acting like I’m somehow fragile. I’m fully capable enough on my own"

Scorpia, bless her, didn't falter. "And I never said you weren't. I know you're a capable person." Suddenly, her usually upbeat voice got awfully quiet. "You're the most capable person I've ever met. That's what I love about you."

She smiled, regaining her confidence. "But even the most capable people can use a hand every little now and then. You feel me?"

Catra gave a noncommittal grunt. 

"Caaatra!" Scorpia half sang "Does someone need to be cheered up with a joyful song?"

"Hell no," Catra said, sitting up. "Really, I'm fine."

Scorpia made a face as if to argue but must have decided against it because instead, she said, "Whatever you say, Wildcat" 

Standing up, she reached out her hand. Catra took it. Looking at her friend fondly, Scorpia gave her hand a slight squeeze. "Let's go help with dinner."

Neither of them said anything as they left their room and headed downstairs to the kitchen. One of Scorpia's moms, Andrea, was already grabbing ingredients out of the fridge. From the components already on the counter, it looked like they would be having stir fry with rice. 

"Lovely, you're both here. I was just about to call you down." Andrea said, "can you help me chop these vegetables?"

They agreed in unison and then got to work. Not talking, Catra grabbed two cutting boards while Scorpia connected her phone to a speaker. "What vibes are we feeling today? Brandi Carlile, Christina Aguilera, P!nk…?"

Catra snorted. "Since when do you listen to my input when it comes to music?"

"Aww, don't be like that, Catra." Scorpia pouted, looking up from her phone "I do too listen to you. All I said is that listening to really somber artists is a bit of a joy kill."

When she didn't reply Scorpia went back to scrolling. "Oo! How about LiSA?"

"Cool honey, as long as Catra agrees too," Andrea said, her head still in the fridge.

"Sure," Catra said. "Just pass me those knives and get over here, will you?"

"Yup!"

Pressing play, Scorpia grabbed two knives from the nearest cabinet before joining her friend's side. Catra would usually poke fun at the older girl's music tastes, but tonight she had too much else on her mind. So instead she let herself fall into a familiar rhythm. Catra loved to cook, though she would never admit it. The idea that she of all people would be into something as domestic as preparing food was ridiculous. Still… there was something almost cathartic about the mindless task of chopping up ingredients. It was something she could control. She was good at it too — Her movements were fast and her slices were neat. Scorpia's section on the other hand was uneven and she had barely finished her first pepper by the time Catra reached for her third. No one minded, of course.

This used to annoy Catra greatly. If she was being perfectly honest, it still annoyed her. It was why the two girls had taken so long to get used to each other's company. Their delayed friendship was mainly Catra’s doing. Entering high school after the Incident, she had neither the tools nor the will to handle the older girl’s energy. Scorpia’s positivity could be off-putting at first— along with the way she seemed to become instant friends with everyone she met. Up until a year ago, Catra had been determined not to become one of them. That amount of bubbly was hard to trust. She had always assumed Scorpia was putting up some sort of act and hated her for it. Now she knew that was just how Scorpia was. A person who genuinely gave everything her all. 

Looking thoughtfully at her friend, Catra didn't see how she could have ever found any fault with her work. She was strong and good at a number of things once she got over her clumsiness, and it was always worth it when she did. When she truly excelled at something, Scorpia would get this exuberant look on her face and her eyes would light up. It was the look she got after winning a swimming competition or hitting the right note in her favorite song. It was the look she got after meeting her girlfriend, Perfuma. Catra always envied that look. For her, success was not a prize. It was a necessity. And anything besides it felt like a failure. While she had long since tried to rid herself of any mindset put in place by her mother, she had never been able to lose her ambition. Or how she tallied her self worth. It was part of why Scorpia had started to worry about her mental health. She had talked to her moms, who recommended setting up an appointment with her pediatrician.

Catra couldn't remember the last time she had gone to the doctors. Her mother had always insisted she didn't need it. While she got into a scrape every now and then, it was never anything serious enough that her mother would have been forced to do something about it. There was one flu season where she was sick for three weeks straight and her mother didn't so much as blink. She ran out of decongestant halfway through the second week and was left to suffer for the rest of the time. It would have been completely insufferable if it wasn't for —

"These look great, girls!" Andrea said, taking their chopped vegetables and adding them as well as some olive oil to a pan on the stove. "Catra, do you mind passing me those spices? And Scorpia, once you're done with your portion of the vegetables can you help me with the sauce?"

"Yes, Mama!" Scorpia said.

Catra opened the spice drawer, her eyes searching for the ones she knew people liked. Grabbing a couple, she handed them to Andrea, who smiled in response. Catra was momentarily thrown off. Although she had been living with the D'Reams for almost four months already, the casual bouts of attention from an adult still occasionally caught her off guard. By the look on Andrea's face, she had caught the crack in Catra's resolve, but before she could say anything, Catra had excused herself and ran upstairs to the bathroom. Scorpia and Andrea exchanged worried glances but they let her go.

It wasn't until she had closed and locked the door that she allowed herself to collapse onto the cool bathroom floor and come apart in the dark. She leaned against the door and attempted to stifle a sob. She failed, and it came anyway. Dammit. Why today of all days? Scorpia was already overly concerned about her— what would she think now? Catra closed her eyes, but that didn’t stop the tears running down her cheeks, nor the thoughts running through her mind. Each one was more dangerous than the next. She couldn’t come up with a single face or memory that wasn’t laced with guilt or betrayal. Still, some were worse than others. Images from her childhood crept into her mind. So far away yet so, so clear. The smell of craft beer and a man's cologne. The sound of her mother’s voice as she pulled on people’s strings. Family dinners gone wrong. Shouting. Swearing. And... laughing. Kids playing. Loose teeth and ponytails and dirty blonde hair. 

No. No. She couldn't go there. Those thoughts were off-limits. Pushing all memories of the past to the back of her mind, she focused on mundane things. Safe things. What assignments she wanted to get ahead on before school tomorrow. What the weather would be like. What she was having for dinner. Dinner. Oh, god. How long had she been upstairs? Slowly, she forced herself to stand. She turned on the lights. Looking at herself in the mirror, she winced at the sight of the person staring back at her. Her eyes were red and puffy, and if she looked close enough she could see dark rings starting to form underneath. In middle school, someone had told her she looked pretty after she cried. She almost wished that person were here now, so she could call them on their lie. Only then she would have to deal with the shame of being caught in her current state. Blotchy, disgusting, a mess. She should have never come up here. 

Locating a washcloth from a nearby shelf, she rinsed her face, attempting to make herself look a little bit less like someone who had spent the last ten minutes crying her eyes out. When she came back downstairs the stir-fry was nearly ready, and Scorpia was unplugging the rice cooker. 

"Catra, perfect timing!" Andrea said casually as if nothing had happened. "Do you mind setting the tables?"

Deep breath. "I'm on it, Ms. D — uh, Andrea." 

At the use of her given name, Scorpia's mom smiled, and this time Catra was able to hold it together. It helped to think of her as an extension of Scorpia, rather than a real mother figure. It wasn't hard. They had the same boisterous energy and an obscure sense of humor that no one besides the pair of them seemed to understand. Andrea was the one who inspired Scorpia to pick up singing. They were practically inseparable, they even had the same laugh. It was the kind of mother-daughter relationship that Catra had always imagined in her head but hadn't considered to be an actual thing. They had just finished plating the food when Catra heard the jingle of keys and the click of a lock. 

"Mom!" Scorpia said, running to greet her.

Lynda smiled and the two of them embraced. They were both huggers. They sat down, Lynda complimenting their cooking and Andrea asking about her day. Catra zoned out as she ate. When she got caught up in her thoughts little could pull her out of them. Yet eventually the conversation turned to a topic that could bring even her out of her head.

"So," Lynda was saying as she got up to refill her glass. While Catra had been in the bathroom Scorpia had pulled out a case of canned tea from the fridge. "How was the appointment?"

Catra blanched, looking down at her food and hoping no one noticed. Scorpia, like the good friend she was, had already anticipated this response and was quick to reply. "It was useful, don't you think so Catra?" Catra nodded, taking a sizable bite of her dinner. "By the way Mama, thanks for the ride"

Andrea and Lynda exchanged a look. While they always tried to be subtle, Catra would often get the feeling that they talked about her behind her back. She knew she probably disappointed them on several occasions, though they seldom let it show. While Catra stayed out of trouble and took a half-hearted stab at manners, she was no Scorpia. She rarely told jokes and when she did no one picked up on it and it turned awkward. It had taken her forever to learn that things like dinner and outings were to be done as a unit after she had accidentally offended people when she opted to do things on her own. That was how it had always been with her mother. The less of a burden the better.

Catra let Scorpia carry the rest of the conversation while she picked at her food in silence. After a reasonable amount of time had passed she excused herself and retreated to the bedroom she shared with Scorpia. Stepping over a mass of clothing, Catra reached her bed and allowed herself to succumb to the blankets. It was almost Halloween, Catra realized. It didn't really matter though. She had never celebrated it as a kid and she felt no need to start now. She had never had a sweet tooth, and while she enjoyed any excuse to dress up, her mother rarely let her. Catra was way too short to fit into any of Scorpia’s clothes, though she supposed she would let her borrow makeup if she asked. Not that she had the energy to. Instead, Catra snuggled deeper into the covers and slowly dozed off. Keeping any and all thoughts safely out of mind.

She awoke hours later to the sound of the television and a clattering of metal cans outside her window. Wrapping a blanket around herself, Catra crept downstairs, her footsteps almost completely drowned out by the movie playing. Despite this, Scorpia still turned her head as Catra opened the front door. 

“Catra- I didn’t know you were awake. I would have let you know we were watching a movie.” She paused the television “Where are you going?”

“Out.” Catra said unhelpfully from habit, then added “I heard a loud noise from the yard and was curious. I think it was some sort of animal.”

At the word ‘animal,’ Scorpia’s face brightened. “Cool- wait for me, will you?” 

Before Catra could answer, Scorpia had run past to grab her jacket. The two of them had matching ones from when they had both been in the winter concert together. Scorpia considered hers to be one of her most prized possessions ever since Catra had presented them to her. She didn’t have the heart to mention that she had stolen them. It was back before Scorpia knew much about Catra’s home life, and that her mother would never spare a penny on nice clothing.

Flinching slightly as the cold bit her cheeks, Catra followed Scorpia to the recycling bins that lived underneath their bedroom window. One of the bins was knocked over and the culprit was trapped beneath a pile of cans. The cat looked up at them with anguished eyes, hissing and scratching uselessly at the air. Flecks of red flew from their paw where they had cut themself on a shard of glass. Something in Catra snapped, and for the first time in years, she was able to focus on a single thought. Rushing over to the cat's aid, Scorpia right behind her, she cautiously lifted the rubble. The cat continued to yowl and scratch and Catra barely managed to avoid getting injured.  _ You’re not the only one with cat-like reflexes,  _ Catra thought to herself smugly as she untangled the blanket from around her shoulders and scooped up the struggling feline. Scorpia stared at the two of them, an astonished look on her face. “Wow, I didn’t take you as someone who is good with animals.”

Catra scowled. “Why wouldn’t I be?” she said defensively as they headed back inside.

“No reason- you’re just… surprisingly wholesome,” Scorpia blinked as Catra stood by the front door, holding the writhing bundle and waiting to be let in. “Wait, are we keeping them?”

“Can we?” Catra asked, “At least until we fix their paw and see if they have an owner. I didn’t see any tags or remnants of a collar…”

She shrugged. “As long as my moms don’t mind, I’d love to take in another stray" Scorpia ignored her offended glare as she opened the door. “Hey look- Catra found a friend!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy November! In the spirit of national writing and the death of my writer's block, I present to you this SPOP fanfic that I have been planning out since around August. I want to try and match my updating schedule to the in-story timeline, so as long as my mental health and workload stay reasonable expect a new chapter around once a month. I've already outlined the fic, but there might be some changes depending on where the story ends up taking itself. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, feel free to leave a (respectful) comment so I know what people think :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra gets some much-needed advice which leads her to seek out help at Bright Moon Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, my beta and I have been pretty busy. We're both on break now so I'm going to try to get as much work done as possible before midterms.
> 
> DC: I don't own she-ra
> 
> CW: A character who has fallen ill is mentioned in passing. There's nothing graphic or even particularly specific but Catra does talk about it with a lack of sympathy due to who it is.

And no one around me knows

Who I am, what I'm on

Who I've hurt and where they've gone

I know that I've done some wrong

But I'm trying to make it right

Did the one I love do me wrong?

Give me up right now

-Still Learning Halsey

Catra sat on the living room floor, her arms propped up on a bright red pillow. Her laptop was opened up in front of her, playing a vine compilation. She’d received it as a gift from a friend in middle school when her mother had refused to buy her one for school. It was old and pretty beat up but worked all the same. At the moment, she had one hand inside a candy bowl and was petting Melog with the other. That was what they were calling the stray cat, and they seemed to like it. It was the name of a cartoon character that Scorpia used to be obsessed with. Catra herself wasn’t familiar with the character. She had never been allowed to watch TV as a child, so the name choice almost felt like a victory. Her mother would be pissed if she knew. She never would though. Catra wouldn’t– couldn’t– let that happen.

Karma had caught up to her mother back in August and by the start of the term, she was too sick to leave the house. Catra had run away a week before she had started showing symptoms and she could only imagine that her mother would find some way to blame her. Not that anyone who spent more than a few minutes in the same room as Senka Weaver would believe that she would ever care about anyone enough to fall ill from their departure.

“How are they so calm around you?” Scorpia asked, settling down beside her.

Catra paused the video, turning herself slightly so that she was facing Scorpia but not enough to disturb Melog. 

“Why wouldn’t they be?” she responded, stroking the cat between their ears. They purr. “I’ve never had a chiller cat. Or any cat, for that matter.”

“Sure, they’re chill around you, but they won’t bond with anyone else,” Scorpia said. She reaches out a tentative hand to try and pet Melog but they shy away. “See! Like that. I just don’t get what I’m doing wrong.”

“Don’t know what to tell you, Scorp. The ways of cats are mysterious.” 

Scorpia gave her a look. The pouty one where her eyes seemed unreasonably adorable. She used to find it unbearable but, like many of her friend’s quirks, she had learned to find it endearing. Unfortunately, that also meant she was more susceptible to giving in. 

She huffed. “Fine, if you’re really invested in befriending Melog, then I can try and help.”

Scorpia punched the air. “Yes!” she exclaimed, enveloping Catra in a tight hug. “We’ll call it —  Project Melog.”

Melog gave a loud meow. Catra freed herself from Scorpia’s arms and chuckled.

“I don’t think they like that name.” She said.

Scorpia crossed her arms. “Sure they do. You’re just jealous that Melog and I are about to be the best of friends.”

“Hmm. whatever you say…”

Catra turned her head to see Andrea coming downstairs into the living room. She was staring at her phone with a concerned expression but smiled when she looked up and saw the two of them with the cat. 

“It’s good to see them settling in. Thank goodness you found them when you did, after what the vet said.” She said, taking a seat on a nearby couch.

They had taken Melog to the vet directly after finding them since they were pretty bruised and they needed to make sure their cut wasn’t infected. Sometime later, the vet called to say that Melog was most likely a stray and that if they still wanted to keep them they could give them the necessary shots and treatments, and that they would be ready to be taken home afterward. Scorpia’s moms agreed to pay the bill, and though they had put up many found posters, it looked as if Melog would be theirs to keep.

“We were just talking about how Melog seems to be settling in well, with Catra at least,” Scorpia replied.

Andrea smiled again, turning to Catra. “I think you’ll be good for each other. My aunt wouldn’t let me get a cat when I was younger, but I had guinea pigs for most of my teenage years and they helped me through a lot. ”

“That’s nice.” Catra mentally braced herself, knowing where this was going.

“Still, there’s only so much a cat or a friend can help you with.” Andrea sighed, “It’s been almost a month since your appointment. I won’t force you into anything, but please know that Lynda and I are here for you if you need to talk and that there is no shame in getting professional help. In fact, I’d recommend it. You don’t have to decide now, just keep us in the loop okay?”

Catra swallowed. “Okay.”

Andrea nodded then left the room. As soon as she was out of earshot, Scorpia turned to her.

“She’s right you know,” Scorpia said softly.

Catra let out a breath, not meeting her eyes. “Whatever.”

“I know you don’t like going to adults for help...” Scorpia said slowly.

Catra frowned at her. “If you know that already then why are we still discussing it?”

Ignoring Catra’s question, she continued “You know Perfuma?”

Catra snorted. “You mean your girlfriend who you talk about constantly? Definitely rings a bell.”

“Yeah, her.” Scorpia said, blushing “She’s a peer advocate at Bright Moon Academy. She isn’t a real counselor or anything, but she’s used to talking to younger students. I could ask her to set up a time to meet with you.”

Catra grunted.

“Having someone you don’t know listen to you might be nice, so you can talk about things you don’t feel comfortable sorting out with the people in your life,” Scorpia said, placing a hand on Catra’s shoulder. “We want to help you but sometimes having someone else can be nice.”

Catra was silent.

“Catra.”

“Fine, whatever.” Catra finally replied. “I’ll talk to your girlfriend. Now stop pestering me about it.”

Scorpia’s mouth turned up into a half-smile. “That’s my wildcat.” She said, embracing her friend again, this time more gently. “I’ll send you her schedule so you can see when she’s free. Even if you’re not too comfortable opening up at first you can still talk to her. She’s a great person.”

Catra watched as Scorpia pulled away and headed upstairs. She tried to return the smile but before she could manage it, Scorpia was gone. She knew she should follow her, thank her for caring so much about her. Instead, she sat there numbly, petting Melog and staring at her motionless computer screen.

* * *

Catra walked up to the expansive campus, trying to ignore how wobbly her knees had become. Scorpia’s words rang out in her head.  _ You’ll be fine Wildcat, just focus on getting to Perfuma’s office.  _ Doing her best to avoid the unending flow of BMA students around her, Catra attempted to locate the building that Scorpia had described without catching anyone’s gaze. Unfortunately, it was no use. After only five minutes of circling the area, a person with bright ombre hair had locked eyes with her. Before she could make an escape, Catra found herself face to face with a surprisingly intense gaze, for someone who was also covered in glitter.

“Hey, are you a new student? I don’t recognize you.” They said, staring her up and down.

“No. I don’t go here.” Catra said, not meeting their eyes and instead tried to figure out which building was which.

“Makes sense, I would have recognized you if you did.” They replied, not noticing Catra’s inattention. “You look pretty lost, is there anything I can help you with? I’m the daughter of the principal so I know this place better than most students.”

“I’m looking for the Performing Arts Center. I have a meeting there with a girl named Perfuma.” Catra explained.

“That’s not too far. Here, let me show you where you need to go,” she said, starting to walk towards a building to their left. Catra followed a few feet behind.

“My name’s Glimmer, by the way.”

Catra held back a laugh. “Really, I wouldn't have guessed.”

“Yeah…” Glimmer touched her hand to a patch of glitter on her cheek. “I hang out in the art studio a lot after school, so this is how I look most of the time. I don’t mind it, I think it makes me look like I’m magic.”

_ Or a craft store threw up on you.  _ But she couldn’t say that. Not when she had promised Scorpia that she would play nice.

“Cool,” Catra said, passing Glimmer so that she was standing next to the door. “This is it, right.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Glimmer said, looking at the door then down at her wrist. She was wearing a purple Fitbit which somehow managed to have a visible screen, despite being covered in glitter. “Oh shoot- I have to go to my Model UN meeting. Are you okay by yourself?”

“Yeah.”

Glimmer smiled. “Awesome. Perfuma should be easy to find once you get in. Just look for a tall person with long blonde hair and you should be good.”

Catra murmured ‘thanks’ and opened the door. A rush of warm air met her as she entered the space, taking in the high ceiling, and the numerous framed works adorning the hallway. She walked down the hall until she hit where it branched off into smaller rooms on her right, and a large auditorium on her left. Turning towards the former, Catra scanned the room numbers for the office that Scorpia said Perfuma would be using. However, before she could locate it the door to one of the rooms swung open and a student stepped out. 

They had noticeably good posture which emphasized their height. They were tall even without the black heeled boots they were wearing. While Catra did not think of herself as a good judge of character, between their black collared blouse and pale blonde hair that was shaved into an undercut on the sides she was fairly certain that she was looking at a theatre kid. Spotting her, the BMA student looked at her curiously.

“Need something?”

“Yes.” Catra replied, “You’re Perfuma right?” 

_ They must be, they fit Glimmer’s description exactly. _

They tapped their chin thoughtfully. “That depends, who’s asking?”

“My name’s Catra… just Catra.” 

She had given up on using her surname years ago. Any affiliation with her mother was enough to make her nauseated. Even thinking about her former guardian was enough to make her lose control. To throw a fit. Yell, punch, curse. Cry. She had to hold it together. She had promised Scorpia this morning that she would try, and screwing up her first impression with Perfuma would be putting her off to an awful start.

“Catra.” Their eyes widened in interest at her name. “And what brings you to the theatre on this lovely afternoon?”

“My friend Scorpia said I could come here to have a meeting,” Catra said, shuffling her feet. “About feelings or whatever.”

The BMA student paused then let out a sharp laugh. “I know, Catra. I was just messing with you.” they pointed to their right, towards the stage. “My name’s Perfuma Plumeria, and I’m free right now if you want to chat with me over here.”

“Scorpia said to meet you in your office?” Catra said, confused.

Perfuma shook her head. “It’s barely an office, and students only have access to it some of the time.” She smiled toothily “Plus, I work best on the stage.”

Catra shrugged. They both took a seat on the stage, Perfuma crossing her legs. She interlaced her fingers, resting her chin on her hands as she met Catra’s eyes. Catra couldn’t help getting distracted by her glittery green eyeshadow, which shone under the harsh stage lights.  _ Why did everyone at BMA have to sparkle?  _ She felt out of place in her oversized red hoodie and plain black leggings. At the same time, a part of her was drawn to this place. The stage lights, the curtains, the balcony… It reminded her of the chorus, back when she sang. Of late nights and laughter. Of meeting Scorpia. She tried not to miss all those things.

“No need to sit all tense like that, kitten.” Perfuma said, “Relax.”

Catra frowned but relaxed her shoulders all the same.

“That’s better. Now, Catra. Tell me about yourself some.”

“Like what?” Catra said, picking at her nail polish.

“Anything. Start with the basics, assume I know nothing.” Perfuma swatted Catra’s hands “And stop ruining your nails.”

“Okay,” Catra replied, taking a moment to think. “Well, I’m 17 years old. A junior at HH. I’m currently living with Scorpia’s parents in The Fright Zone. My mom’s in the hospital.”

“Well, that’s a lot to unpack.” Perfuma said, “How do you feel about your mother’s condition?”

“I’m mostly glad she’s out of my life,” Catra said bluntly. If she was supposed to open up, she might as well be honest.

The side of Perfuma’s mouth twitched as if she was trying to hide her amusement. “That’s fair.”

“I don’t want anything to do with her.” Catra said firmly “All I want is to graduate without any bumps and get the hell out.”

Perfuma nodded slowly, an odd look on her face. After a moment of silence, her face broke into a smile.

“Well Catra, I have good news for you.” She said, “We’re gonna get along great.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra continues to meet with Perfuma. After a stressful day at HH, she is glad to be back at BMA until a familiar face brings back memories she had intended to forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines Day <3 Here's some shippy stuff as my present to you. And by shippy stuff I of course mean angst. The tags still very much apply :)

Been two years, our memories are blurred

Hadn't heard your voice, no, not a word

But still they, they talk about the things we were

They talk about us

But I don't know the things that you have heard

-I'm Not Her Clara Mae

“So, what do you want to talk about in today’s meeting?” Perfuma said, taking a sip from her iced coffee.

Catra had only met with Perfuma twice since their first conversation but she was already picking up on a lot of things about her. The way she gesticulated wildly when she was excited. The fact that she never wore anything without at least an inch of heel. And of course, her somewhat concerning obsession with iced coffee. It turned out that BMA had its own cafe on campus and Perfuma survived off of it. Catra imagined that her amateur counselor wasn’t the only one, based on the number of jittery students with obvious caffeine highs. Catra held a drink of her own, green tea, but had barely touched it. She wasn’t a fan of hot drinks but it was too cold for anyone besides a hyperenergetic theatre geek to drink something with ice in early December. At least her tea gave her some warmth and something to do with her hands.

“I don’t know.” Catra replied, “Maybe school?”

“Okay. What about it?”

Catra was silent and Perfuma let out a slight sigh. 

“Start with the basics. The teacher that gets on your nerves. Your favorite subject. Who you sit with at lunch.”

“Alright,” Catra said, taking a moment to think. “Well for one, all the teachers get on my nerves. Half of them are related to the principal, Hordak Prime. He’s the absolute worst, but I suppose Scorpia has already told you all about him.”

Perfuma nodded. “Of course, but I want to hear your perspective.”

“Oh, okay.” Catra said “Well there’s not much to it. He’s this crusty religious fellow who is _obsessed_ with order and everything going his way. He makes my mother look laid back–which is saying something.”

In freshman year the upperclassmen had said that Horde High was more of a cult than a school. Catra was still in her first week when she’d realized they weren’t joking. The high school was run by the same people as the lower and middle school she had attended. Even so, there was definitely a shift in atmosphere between then and Ninth grade. Being a Catholic school, they had always been expected to go to Mass and take basic Bible studies but Catra had never taken any of it seriously. No one had forced her to give a shit so she hadn’t. Horde High was different. A new grade with new rules and a new crowd. Which, before meeting Scorpia, generally meant no crowd at all. It had quickly become apparent to her that messing around wasn’t going to cut it anymore. The Prime family was constantly breathing down her neck to fit into their mold. Her workload piled up and her mental health plummeted. More often than not there was no one who had her back.

Her mother being on the board in no way helped with her discomfort. It wasn’t that bad at first. Back in 6th grade, there was no shortage of parents with something to say. Her mother was drowned out by louder and angrier voices. Then the school hit a rough spot. The student body dwindled in numbers and the board with it. Her mother got a voice and with a voice came access to power. She somehow managed to make her way into the social circle of Mr. Prime’s son (aka the vice-principal) and had become more unbearable than ever for it. School was no longer any sort of an escape. Her mother’s presence was like a shadow, one that clung to her wherever she went no matter how hard she tried to escape it.

“There have to be at least some teachers who aren’t related.” Perfuma furrowed her brows “right?”

“Well, yeah. Some. But they all act like mindless clones most of the time. All lectures, no personality. Except for Ms. Dryl.”

“What’s she like?” Perfuma asked.

“Quit playing dumb. Scorpia won’t shut up about her, you must know the two of them are close.” Catra grimaced. “It’s weird.”

“Professionalism, Darling.” Perfuma swirled around the remaining ice at the bottom of her cup before taking a sip. “I want to hear from you. Assume I know nothing.”

“Fine,” Catra said, tugging at one of her sleeves. “She teaches Bio and is definitely the most open-minded of our teachers. I swear, sometimes it feels like she’s oblivious to the chaos happening around her. Which would normally annoy me but it’s also kind of… nice? If that makes sense?”

Catra paused, expecting Perfuma to cut in but she merely nodded.

“She’s the one adult in the school who doesn’t seem hung up on holding us all to dumb standards. All she expects is engagement in her class.” Catra explained, “It’s… refreshing.”

Perfuma was giving her a look and she couldn’t parse out what it meant. The two of them were sitting on the edge of the stage like they always did. Catra in the oversized sweater she threw on every morning before school, and Perfuma in a puffy black winter coat. Both of their bags were sitting by their feet, Perfuma’s partially open with papers spilling out. She was taking notes with a gel pen on the back of what looked like a script. It would have been a casual scene, but Perfuma insisted on keeping up the air of ‘professionalism’. She was good at it too. Times like now, with Perfuma’s calculating gaze focussed on her, she barely remembered that she was just in an auditorium, talking to Scorpia’s girlfriend.

“What?” Catra narrowed her eyes, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“It seems like you have a fond opinion of Ms. Dryl.”

“Yeah, so what?” she snapped back “You would too if the only other teachers were stingy old drones.”

“I’m not judging you.” Perfuma replied, ignoring Catra’s aggressive tone “I’m just curious as to why you called Scorpia weird earlier for having the same opinions.”

“Well– yeah.” Catra replied, taken aback “There’s a difference between approving of a teacher and trying to be _friends._ ”

“You don’t make friends easily, do you?”

Catra glared at her. “Not with 30-year-old science nerds, I don’t!”

Perfuma had that look on her face again and it made Catra’s skin crawl. She hated it when people acted like they understood how she felt, over analyzing her emotions before she’d gotten a chance to grapple with them herself. _That’s the point of therapy, I suppose._ Catra thought to herself, trying to remember how Scorpia had talked her into going.

“I know how to make friends, okay?” Catra grumbled, “So stop reading into this.”

“If you insist,” Perfuma replied, not looking at all convinced.

“Can we just… talk about something else?”

“Okay, like what?”

“I–” Catra paused, trying to think of a good change of topic. “I wanted to ask you a question.”

“Ask away.”

“Why did you agree to meet with me?” Catra’s voice was uncharacteristically soft. “I’m not exactly the best company. Why take time out of your day to talk to someone who doesn’t even go to your school?”

“What can I say, I’m a good samaritan.”

Catra tensed at the biblical language. Perfuma looked at her quizzically and she tried her best to appear unbothered. 

“Everyone has a motive,” she said before Perfuma could voice her concern. “So what’s yours.”

Perfuma sighed. “Catra, can I be honest with you?”

_You better be._ She swallowed. _Fuck, why is my mind like this?_

“Yeah.”

“I think you’re a very interesting person,” Perfuma said, putting her notes aside.

Catra snorted.

“I’m being serious,” Perfuma said, the usual playful tone was gone from her voice. “You’re messy. I can see that from the glimpses into your life that you’ve given me. There’s a lot that you need to work through in order to work through what has clearly been a pretty traumatic childhood.”

“That’s why _I’m_ in therapy.” Catra frowned “You’re not answering my question.”

“Patience, Kitten,” Perfuma said. “You didn’t let me finish.”

She stood up, holding her cup. Drinking the last of its contents, she walked over to a recycling bin across the room near the exit. Catra watched as she threw it in the bin, taking her time before responding. After a moment or so of silence, Perfuma spoke again, back still turned.

“Underneath all the stuff you’re going through I see a person with ambition. Who is strong and is willing to fight for themselves.” She spoke with familiarity as if they’d known each other for years instead of weeks.

“I respect that in a person because those are traits I see in myself.”

Catra blinked. She hadn’t expected Perfuma to have this sentiment, nor for her words to be laced in what could only be described as nostalgia. She didn’t respond as Perfuma approached to pack up her bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, Perfuma glanced back at her as she reached the door.

“I’ll see you at the same time next week.”

The door closed, leaving Catra alone in the auditorium. A whirlwind of thoughts made its home in her mind but she couldn’t get a grip on any of them. She sighed, staring blankly at her lap. Her tea was cold in her hands.

  
  


Scorpia had a stomach bug, so Catra decided to sit with her old crew at lunch. Her first mistake– she should have eaten alone. Outside, or in the Bio room if she was really desperate. But no, she had to sit with people. It wasn’t as if she wanted to be around other people. Real socialization wasn’t her goal, it rarely was. All she was looking for was a table to eat her tuna salad, and scroll through Tumblr. She thought that being around people would make introverting less pathetic. In the end, it just made it useless.

They ignored her at first. Well, Kyle gave her a little wave but some irritations were to be expected. She blocked him out. It was easy with practice and she had over a decade of it. Rogelio was helping Lonnie with her Spanish homework and neither of them had seemed surprised or interested in Catra’s presence. If this were a couple of years ago, Lonnie would have come to her for help. Much had changed since then. She didn’t even know if she was still fluent, she’d had no one to speak Spanish to in ages.

After a while Lonnie finished her homework and Rogelio and Kyle excused themselves from the table. When Lonnie didn’t follow them, Catra looked up from her phone. The other girl met her eyes. Her gaze was shaking with an intensity that Catra hadn’t seen in a while.

“What?” Catra said.

“Why are you here?” Lonnie replied sharply, standing up.

Catra’s eyes narrowed and she pocketed her phone. The two of them had never really gotten along but had been forced together because of a shared friend group. While the last time they talked had ended on a sour note, she hadn’t expected this level of animosity. Catra wasn’t exactly nice to her, she wasn’t a **nice** person. Lonnie knew that. That’s why they’d ignored each other all term. It was their unspoken agreement. Surely Catra hadn’t broken that by merely sitting at the lunch table. Had she? That was ridiculous, they didn’t own it.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Catra gestured at the empty container in front of her “I’m eating lunch.”

Lonnie put her hands on her hips. “Here?”

“Yeah.” Catra shrugged “What of it?”

“Don’t act dumb, Catra.”

“I’m not, _Lonnie_ ,” she growled, standing up so the two were at the same level. “I was minding my own business and you decided to pick a fight.”

“Sure, If minding your own business means invading other people’s space. Shouldn’t you be eating with your girlfriend?”

“Scorpia isn’t my girlfriend” Catra spat back, “and for your information, she’s out sick today.”

Lonnie’s eyes widened. “Is she okay?”

“Yeah yeah, she’s fine.” Catra said, “Why do you care?”

“I don’t.” Lonnie said, though her face betrayed her “I just… thought I should ask. Unlike some people I know–”

She shot her a judgemental look which Catra proceeded to ignore.

“–Scorpia is a genuinely kind person. Even if she has a poor taste in friends.”

“We used to be friends,” Catra said, failing to keep the hurt out of her voice.

“No, I was friends with your Ex. _We_ weren’t anything.”

Catra clenched her fists. “You don’t get to talk about her.”

Lonnie snorted. “Why? I’m not the one who scared her away.”

“Fuck you!”

Catra grabbed her trash and stormed out, leaving a shaken Lonnie in her wake. She was still pissed off during her afternoon classes which sucked under normal circumstances. Surprisingly Catra only made a handful of rude comments during the rest of the day. Her teachers were less impressed with her restraint, sending her home with a suspiciously large amount of homework.

Pushing her way through the crowded station, Catra did her best to lose herself in the music blaring from her headphones. Machine Gun Kelly and Halsey had released a song together and Catra had been using it as an outlet since Halloween. Something about heartbroken Brits singing their hearts out calmed her.

She couldn’t get to BMA quickly enough. As much as she hated to admit it, she was beginning to rely on her weekly sessions as an escape from the rest of her life. She had made Scorpia promise not to talk to Perfuma about her behind her back but occasionally she would make ‘random’ comments about how proud she was of her. It was embarrassing as fuck. Still, working through her trauma was preferable to living through it. Especially on days like today. 

Trying her best not to focus on the literal and metaphorical weight on her shoulders, Catra made her way from the station to the front gates of BMA’s expansive campus. With its neatly mowed lawns and orderly brick buildings, the academy made Horde High look like a prison in comparison. It certainly felt like one sometimes.

It was only 2:55 (Calc had let out early which was only partially her fault) so Catra took her time as she made her way to the auditorium. Perfuma had a habit of arriving at their meetings fashionably late so it would be about ten minutes before she expected the theatre geek to show. Distracted by a bulletin board decorated with colorful posters, Catra paused to skim through a few. _Winter Formal: This Saturday (Save the Date!)._ She rolled her eyes. The last dance she had attended was all the way back in 7th grade; she had intended to go in 8th as well but it hadn’t worked out. That was probably for the better, social gatherings really weren’t her thing. A pity too, she was a good dancer.

The poster next to it was battered, and someone had doodled little crowns in the margins. Barely visible were the words, _SIGN UP FOR THE WINTER PLAY,_ in dark blue sharpie with a list of names underneath. Perfuma’s name was, predictably, written on the third row in neat calligraphy with ‘Peekablue and Bee’ just above it, surrounded by small blue hearts. The top slot was empty except for two dark green initials. DT.

“Hey– it’s you again!”

Catra turned her head to see a vaguely familiar girl with brightly dyed hair. _Shit– who was she again?_ She wracked her brain but for the life of her couldn’t remember. _This is ridiculous, I can’t have talked to that many BMA students with pink ombre hair dammit._ The girl was walking over to her. Wonderful.

“Were you able to find Perfuma alright?” _Oh– it was Glitter Girl._

“Um, yeah.” Catra shifted from one foot to the other. “Yeah, I did, thanks.”

“That’s good.” Glitter Girl said “It can be hard to track her down sometimes, God that girl is busy. I mean between the play, running GSA, peer advocacy, however many science electives she got away with this year…”

“GSA?”

Glitter Girl blinked.“Gender and Sexuality Alliance. Does your school not have one?”

“No.” Catra shook her head. “Nothing like that.”

“Well, that’s sucky.” Glitter Girl said, frowning. “If you’re interested in starting your own you could try talking to Perfuma about it. A couple of the queer kids she’s counseled from other schools have set up GSAs using her advice.”

“Cool,” Catra said, planning to do no such thing. The teachers hated her enough already. Gesturing down the hallway she added, “Speaking of which, I should be meeting her right now so…”

“Ah– that’s right. I didn’t mean to keep you.” Glitter Girl smiled apologetically “Here, I’ll walk you.”

“No need,” Catra replied quickly.

“It’s no problem at all, I promise.” Glitter Girl said, “I’m going this way as well today.”

“Oh,” Catra mumbled, too tired to argue further.

“Yeah,” she continued, “I’m meeting my girlfriend so we can walk to Model UN together. There’s an admissions meeting in the room we usually use so we’re borrowing the music teacher’s office.”

“Mm.”

Glitter Girl continued to yammer on. Catra studied the floor. They’d just reached where the hallway branched off when the door to the auditorium opened. Someone with red and white Nikes walked out, midconversation with a person inside.

“Oh come on, my acting isn't as bad as– Catra?”

Catra froze. She recognized that voice. No, it couldn’t be. Not today. Not now– but it was. Her. Standing wide eyed at the doorway. 

“Hey babe, how was 7th period?” Glitter Girl asked, her voice faltering as she picked up on the sudden tension that had filled the hall. When there was no reply she looked at Catra and then back at Adora with a curious expression. “Wait, do you two know each other or something?”

“You– you could say that” came a choked response.

_Yeah, you could._ Catra slowly looked up, trying not to wince as she met an achingly familiar pair of bright gray eyes.

They looked the same as they always had, though the intensity behind them was different. She looked older, but unlike Catra who had become more jaded with time, her face was full of life. Even now, with her jaw agape and ashen face, she looked happier. Healthier. Calmer than she had ever been in their childhood. She was still sporting the stupid school girl unform that they had been forced to wear in middle school but it fit her differently. She’d lost the tie and her collar was unbuttoned slightly, not flashing her, but just enough to be noticeable. Instead of a skirt, she had on a more casual pair of trousers, though they were the same shade of navy blue. 

Most noticeable were the buttons pinned to her left breast pocket, each showcasing a different pride flag. A rainbow heart with black and brown stripes at the top, the orange-pink lesbian flag, and another which she didn’t recognize but was black, blue, and red with the pi symbol in the middle. Seeing them, displayed so casually as they were, put a lump in her throat that she couldn’t explain. Adora was also still wearing her cross, on the same golden chain, around her neck. Catra didn’t know how to feel about that either.

Adora was staring at her, Glitter Girl probably was as well. It felt like the whole world had their eyes on her. Her loss for words was quickly becoming awkward but her throat felt tight. She swallowed dryly, wetting her lips. Then she forced herself to speak.

“Hey, Adora.”

God, it had been so long since she’d said that. Too long. It had been three years since she had sworn never to speak that name again. Three years since she had burned each and every syllable from her memory. Three years since she had put away her feelings and her memories, locking them up and pushing them aside. After all that time, the name held just as much emotion as it had before. Adora. Shit, she had missed the way that name felt on her tongue. Adora, Adora, Adora. For a second she forgot about the pain. The hurt that had been caused all those years ago. At that moment, Adora was just a name. A beautiful name.

Glitter Girl snapped her fingers. “That’s why you look familiar! Adora has a picture of you in her room.” she chuckled. “Quite a lot actually. You look a lot younger in all of them though.”

The spell was broken. 

“Oh really?” Catra said, narrowing her eyes. “I didn’t think we were that close.”

“That’s weird.” Glitter Girl responded, clearly missing the aggression in her tone. “She used to talk about you a lot.”

She tried not to let this flatter her. “Can’t imagine why.”

Adora had been quiet throughout this whole exchange. Dazed, almost. It would have been nearly impossible to tell if she was even hearing their conversation if her face hadn’t turned a shade redder each time one of them opened their mouths. Catra couldn’t tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. Either way, the petty part of her was more than a little pleased.

“I–” Adora started but Catra cut her off.

“Well, I’ve gotta go. See you, Glitter.” Catra said, opening the door to the auditorium and stepping inside.

“It’s Glimmer actually–” Glitter Girl corrected her as the door slammed shut.

Perfuma was standing by the curtain, a stern expression on her face. She pointed at the clock to her left.

“You’re late, Kitten.”

“As if you’re ever on time.” Catra rolled her eyes. “And don’t call me Kitten.”

Perfuma raised her eyebrows. “Feisty today, are we? Sit, sit. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Catra groaned, dropping her bag by her feet. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing from the way you’re acting today.” Perfuma tutted “Now sit so we can talk about it.”

Taking a seat, Catra let her head fall so that her back was resting against the stage. She hadn’t meant to give Perfuma a hard time, it just took too much energy not to. Seeing Adora had resurfaced a part of her that she had hoped to lose hold on. Years of building up thick walls inside of herself and forced forgetfulness were suddenly made irrelevant by one short conversation. She’d barely even let Adora get a word in and yet… 

Maybe on a better day, she could have acted civil. Pretended the mere sight of her former friend didn’t fill her with anxiety and frustration and longing. Today was no such day.

“Does this have anything to do with Ms. Grayskull?” Perfuma asked, a strange expression on her face.

“How did you–?” Catra sputtered.

Perfuma gave a half-smile. “Lucky guess.”

A month ago Catra would have lied. Given a vague answer which contained little to no truth. She would have tensed up. And let her emotions fall behind a guarded gate until they’d sunk so deep that they were barely there at all. Instead, she relaxed. She let herself enjoy the fact that someone wanted to listen to her thoughts, who could read her well enough to guess the cause of unspoken tension. Perfuma was someone she could trust. And it felt nice.

“Yeah,” Catra said, letting out a long breath. She paused and Perfuma waited patiently for her to continue. “Adora and I were... we knew each other. Grew up together. And I– Well, I guess I didn’t expect we’d run into each other is all.”

“How did seeing her make you feel?”

“Well of course I felt–” Catra stopped, an unexpected realization blocking her thoughts. “Actually I don’t know how I felt.”

A pause, then: “I think that’s the problem.”

There was no judgment in Perfuma’s voice. Nor was there pity. It was just a statement, a statement that was truer than Catra would have liked.

“How– how so?” Catra replied.

Perfuma gave Catra a serious look from a few feet away from where she was sitting, also on the stage, with her legs crossed. 

“Darling, we both know that emotions are not your strong point. And that’s okay.” Perfuma said as Catra avoided her eyes. “What that means though is expecting 

yourself to handle emotions that you don’t even understand is unfair to yourself.”

Sliding over so they were sitting side by side Perfuma put a gentle hand under Catra’s chin and tilted her head just so until the two of them made eye contact.

“If you want to handle this situation you need to learn to understand your feelings, not bottle them up. So,” Perfuma said, a glint in her eye “Are you going to fix things or just stand around and sulk.”

Not breaking Perfuma’s gaze Catra replied, “I am.”

“Good.”

Perfuma grinned. Removing her hand from Catra’s face she reached into her bag and pulled out an assortment of snacks.

“Also, for the record, I was on time today.” she threw a bag of pretzels into Catra’s lap “I even brought snacks.”

Opening the bag, Catra murmured her thanks as she grabbed a handful. She was halfway through eating when Perfuma got a wicked smile on her face.

“That’ll be five dollars by the way.”

Catra almost choked. “Excuse me?”

“Jesus, I’m joking.” Perfuma dodged Catra’s elbow which had aimed for her side. In her scramble to avoid getting hit, she had missed the way Catra had flinched at the carelessness of her words. As stupid as it was, she half expected her mother to jump out and berate them for taking the Lord’s name in vain. “I got these for free at GSA.”

“What, you don’t provide the snacks yourself?” Catra asked.

Perfuma furrowed her brows. “Um... no?”

“Huh.” _I always assumed that would be the club leader’s job. Then again, what do I know about clubs anyway?_

“So, you said Adora and you used to be close.” Perfuma asked, “Were you like childhood friends, twins separated at birth, secret lovers...?”

“Shut up, no,” Catra said, slightly red. “We were... I don’t know how to describe it really.”

She took a breath, letting herself remember things she had tried to block out for so long. Games of tag. Braiding each other’s hair. Walking home together after school. Studying together late at night. And that one time that they... well. But then everything went to shit. Her mother’s towering anger. Poorly kept secrets and broken promises lead to arguments and tears. The end of 8th grade had been when everything had fallen apart and one of the hardest periods of time in her life. Then high school had rolled around. Crashing into her like a storm with no support system to help her up again. Because Adora had switched schools and Lonnie wouldn’t meet her eye. Just like that, she went from a few friends to none. Her old squad got tired of her chaotic shifts in mood and snarky comments. And even Kyle, who spent so much time trying to pretend their group was perfect, had pushed her away. Scorpia had come into her life, of course. But by then she had been so broken she was in no shape to be anything resembling a good friend. Anyone else would have given up on her. Scorpia probably should have.

“Have you ever had someone who meant a whole damn lot to you and then they’re suddenly no longer in your life at all?” Her voice shook “And you want to blame them but you end up hating yourself instead?”

Perfuma was silent.

“I’m sorry that was a really personal–” Catra started.

“There was– is –someone like that.” Catra was silent as Perfuma spoke, surprised by the tenderness in her voice. “He’s in my grade. An actor, and a damn good one at that. His dedication to theatre both on and off the stage made me feel seen in ways I didn’t know I could feel.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing. I didn’t _do_ anything.” Perfuma sighed, running her fingers through her hair “I never expressed how much he meant to me so someone else beat me to it. I tried to pretend that his girlfriend didn’t bother me but they’re so fucking clingy when it comes to each other it’s impossible to ignore. So I traded the joy he brought me for my sanity and that was it.”

“That sucks,” Catra said softly.

Perfuma let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah.”

Catra rested a hand on her shoulder, not sure what else to do. She wasn’t used to comforting others and besides Scorpia and Adora no one had shown her comfort and she wasn’t about to envelop her stand-in-therapist with a bear hug. To her relief, Perfuma didn’t shy away from her touch.

“You have Scorpia now though.” She said, trying her best to sound reassuring “You’re not alone.”

Perfuma gave a small smile. “Yeah, I do.”

An alarm went off on Perfuma’s phone and she quickly reached to silence it. “Well, darling I’ve gotta bounce. See you next week?”

Catra nodded. “See you.”

“Think more about how you can better understand your emotions surrounding Adora, okay?”

Catra ignored the tightness in her throat. “Mmhmm.”

Following Perfuma out of the auditorium, Catra felt her phone buzz. Retrieving it from her coat pocket, the screen lit up with another message. Both were from Scorpia.

_Hi Wildcat, I hope your session went well!!_

_BTW Perfuma just invited us to BMA’s winter dance!!! This is gonna be so fun :)_

…

Well shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it... the next chapter shall be fun for me and maybe even for you as well. Many thanks to my beta for editing this, on V-Day no less.


End file.
